The No. 1 Rule I've Learned About Being A Parent

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 The No. 1 Rule I've Learned About Being A Parent I have a recurring vision of a roller coaster. It's a behemoth of a thing, which would be named Intimidator or Titan if my mental picture were that specific, and it is not only towering but also thunderous.  In my mind's eye it heads skyward, then plummets toward earth, and immediately roars upward once again. People I love are on that coaster -- most often my children -- but I'm not barreling and shrieking with them. Instead I am standing, and observing, from solid, stable ground.  WATCH: Students Surprise Mom With Heartwarming Flash Mob The 'Inappropriate' Outfit That Got My Daughter Into Trouble What I Learned After My Friend's Baby Died WATCH: Anderson Cooper Kicks 'Human Barbie' Mom Off Show Why More Kids Are Being Raised By Grandparents BLOG POSTS Jim Higley: Attention Kids: Grades Are NOT Everything I think kids should work hard, use their talents and take school seriously. But more than anything, I want my kids to learn how to learn. Dr. Peggy Drexler: The Kids Are Alright: Gay Parents Raising Children These days, gay parents are no novelty: We see them strolling through our neighborhoods and appearing on our TV screen. But still many are left wondering: How will these children of gay parents fare? Laura Rossi Totten: Moms' Club: The New Happy Hour? Why is it that as soon as we become mothers, we are expected to leave our cosmos at the bar and settle for reruns of Sex and the City? Roland C. Warren: Dads of Valor These dads have to spend agonizing periods of time on the other side of the world from their kids, often in dangerous situations, waiting for a precious moment when they can squeeze in a video call. Linda Flanagan: Turning a Blind Eye to Underage Drinking Just as Twitter and Facebook enabled young revolutionaries to gather together for instant protests, social media has helped modern kids mobilize promptly against snooping grown-ups.

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